SCOTT GULLEDGE / Scroll

Hills challenge cross country runners

Megan Ransom RAN04008@BYUI.EDU Sports Assistant Editor

The cross country team had its third meet Oct. 7 – one of the hardest so far – at the campus Arboretum.

“The course was definitely the toughest of the year, it just never let up,” said Aaron Pease, a junior from Richland, Wash.

With several hills, most runners agreed that the 5,000-meter course was more difficult.

“The course had character, it wasn’t boring. This one really pushed me the last mile,” said Seth Morris, a freshman, from Ojai, Calif.

The Lady Knights, Lady Vikings and Lady Thunder competed in the first race while the Hurricanes competed against the Spartans and the Titans.

The second race brought the Hawks against the Knights and the Thunder, while the Lady Hurricanes raced the Lady Spartans and the Lady Titans.

For the men’s races Spartans came in first, Titans came in second and Hurricanes came in third for the first race. The second race Knights came in first, Hawks came in second and Thunder came in third.

Dan Lawton, a senior from Cypress, Texas, came in first for the Spartans with a time of 17:36. Andrew Mitchell, a freshman from Bellevue, Neb., was first for the Knights with a time of 18:39.

The first race Lady Thunder charged in at first, Lady Vikings came in second, while Lady Hawks came in third. In the second race Lady Titans came in first, Lady Spartans came in second, and Lady Hurricanes came in third.

Lisa Perkins, a freshman from Marysville, Wash., came first in the first race for the Lady Hawks with a time of 23:40, while Amy Eliker, a freshman from Bennett, Neb., came first in the second race for the Lady Hurricanes with a time of 21:49.

The cross country program has seven teams this year and began with 140 runners.

“I ran here in 2002. Since then it’s grown a lot; it’s more competitive” said Tim Johnson, a sophomore from Saint Joseph, Mo.

“My favorite part of cross country is the overcoming of self; telling my body I can do it, even when my body’s screaming that I can’t,” said Bret Gadbury, a senior from Cheyenne, Wyo.